Method for inputting and acquiring requirement

• US 6,219,065 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2000
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Saito, Miho, Mashita, Yuichi, Kubo, Shoichi, Takahashi, Hisashi, Yuura, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Cliff N.
• Application Number:
  US09/496,260
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 345/418, 345/433, 345/326, 345/333, 345/334, 345/340, 345/352, 345/343, 345/353, 345/335
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code

Abstract

On a computer, components forming a development subject are arranged on a scenario editor by using basic component parts, and the component data are set. And a procedure call sequence is defined by specifying procedures of defined components in order of call. The call sequence data is generated in the computer as scenario data. Then, the defined group of scenarios are selected and reflected on the model editor. A whole requirement is created. At that time, a procedure name to be called subsequently on the connection line between components is acquired from the defined procedure sequence data, and a program for effecting animation is generated. Finally, by executing the generated animation program, the procedure call sequence is displayed in an animation form and the requirement is created. By interactive operation alone of the screen using the scenario editor and the model editor, therefore, the requirement of the development subject from the customer can be easily acquired and the whole requirement can be created.

Claims

1. A requirement acquiring system comprising:

means for inputting a requirement by using a requirement input device, said requirement input device including;

means for arranging components of a development subject on a screen of a computer terminal;

means for specifying, for each of the arranged components, a component name, a data item name, and a procedure name to be held by said component;

means for displaying, for each procedure of the component, a list of procedures held by a component as a menu, selecting from said menu a procedure call sequence between components containing said procedure or a procedure call sequence within the component, repeating said displaying operation and said selecting operation, and thereby specifying a procedure call sequence held by the component, said procedure call sequence being an order of calling procedures held by components;

means for generating component data, procedure call sequence data and scenario data, said component data having a record of said specified component name, data item name and procedure name, said procedure call sequence data having a record of said procedure call sequence, said scenario data holding names and peculiar numbers for said component data and said procedure call sequence data;

said means for specifying a procedure call sequence held by the component comprising means for responding to a certain component name and a certain procedure name included in first scenario data of a certain requirement having identical names with a component name and a procedure name included in second scenario data, and means for specifying identity of the component and the procedure of the second scenario data with the component and the procedure of the first scenario data;

means for generating identification data in each scenario data on the basis of a scenario peculiar number of each of said scenario data specified in identity;

means for separately defining, for each requirement, procedures to be called subsequently to said procedures specified in identity and generating separate scenario data;

means for generating whole identification data from said generated identification data of the scenario data;

means for generating relation data among whole visualized requirements as scenario relation data from identification data of a group of requirements generated by said repetition; and

means for displaying figures representing all of the requirements, and for displaying connection lines between relating requirements, on the basis of the relation data of the scenario, and thereby displaying relation data of the whole scenario.

2. A requirement acquiring system according to claim 1, wherein said means for generating identification data of each scenario data for each requirement specified in identity comprises means for generating, as identification data of scenario data, a part of scenario data associated with said component and procedure specified in identity, and

wherein said means for displaying the relation data of the whole scenario comprises displaying relation data of the scenario by selecting displayed connection lines representing relations.

3. A requirement acquiring system according to claim 1, wherein said means for generating identification data of the scenario data for each requirement specified in identity comprises means for generating, as identification data of scenario data, a part of scenario data associated with said component and procedure specified in identity and sequence positions of procedures specified in identity in each requirement, and

wherein said means for displaying the relation data of the whole scenario displays the relation data of the whole scenario by specifying and displaying positions of connection lines between relating requirements on the basis of sequence positions, in each requirement, of procedures, specified in identity, of relation data of the scenario.

4. A requirement acquiring system according to claim 1, wherein said means for specifying identity of the component and the procedure of the second scenario data with the component and the procedure of the first scenario data comprises means for specifying reference to the component and procedure of the first scenario data to be effected by the second scenario data,

wherein said means for generating identification data of scenario data for each requirement specified in identity comprises means for generating a direction of said specified reference as identification data of scenario data, and

wherein said means for displaying the relation data of the whole scenario comprises means for displaying, by means of connection lines between relating requirements, reference to the first scenario to be effected by the second scenario.